This invention relates to a fat composition. In particular, the invention relates to a vegetable fat composition comprising glycerides and to its applications in baked products and iced confectionery products.
Many food products contain fats. Due to perceived health benefits, there is a desire amongst consumers for food products that have a low content of trans fatty acids and a low content of saturated fatty acids (SAFA). In order to achieve these aims, it is necessary to modify the triglyceride composition of the fats. However, this is a complex problem since most fats rely on the fatty acids of the component triglycerides, for example the saturated fatty acids, in order to achieve the correct balance of organoleptic properties. Simply lowering the SAFA content of the fat will not necessarily lead to a product that is acceptable to the consumer.
Triglyceride fats are often characterized in terms of their fatty acid content. The term fatty acid generally refers to straight chain carboxylic acids having from 12 to 24 carbon atoms and is used herein to refer to the carboxylic acid residues bound to the glycerol moiety in the triglyceride, and not to free carboxylic acid. Typically, the abbreviation S is used to denote a saturated fatty acid residue having 16 to 24 carbon atoms and U denotes an unsaturated fatty acid residue having at least 18 carbon atoms. Thus, for example, a pure triglyceride containing three saturated fatty acid residues is denoted SSS (or S3) and a triglyceride having saturated fatty acids at the 1 and 3 positions and an unsaturated fatty acid at the 2-position is denoted SUS. S2U refers to combined SSU and SUS, and SU2 refers to combined SUU and USU.
Examples of fat compositions for use in food products are disclosed in the following documents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,939,114 describes ice cream coating compositions containing triglyceride fats. The fats have a low level of UUU triglycerides of less than 10% by weight.
EP-A-0815738 discloses non-trans, non-temper filling fats. In the examples, the fats have a SSS content of less than 6% by weight and a SUS content of greater than 20% by weight.
WO 95/07619 relates to healthy fat spreads. The fats contain relatively high levels of C18 to C24 fatty acid residues.
EP-A-0731645 describes healthy fat-containing blends having an SU2 content of at least 40% by weight.
EP-A-0728415 discloses heat-set, flour-based products containing a fat. The fat has an SUS content of 35-80% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,513 relates to non-temper filling fats comprising a fat blend. The fat has a SSS content of less than 5% by weight.
EP-A-0783250 describes flexible ice cream coating compositions comprising a sugar and a fat. The fat has an SUS content of 25 to 80% by weight.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,950 discloses chocolate compositions. In the examples, the compositions have a relatively high level of C18 to C24 fatty acid residues.
WO 96/31240 relates to a method of increasing the HDL concentration and the HDL/LDL concentration ratio in human serum by providing a balance between a sufficient and required proportion of cholesterol-free saturated fatty acids in the daily diet.
US 20050142275 describes non-lauric, non-trans, non-temper fat compositions that have relatively high levels of arachidic and behenic acids.
Our copending applications, U.S. Ser. Nos. 10/986,044 and 10/972,615 relate to frying fats and oils and to coating compositions for bakery products, respectively.
There remains a need for good quality bakery fats with low trans content and low saturated fatty acid (SAFA) content.